Cat Mario is real and Cat Mario is fun. This power-up is just one of the new features that makes Super Mario 3D World a unique, charming, and colorful game. At the Nintendo Experience I had the fortunate opportunity to play 3D World twice. The demo had four different levels and one boss battle. I played the World 4-2 and World 6-3 portions of the demo. The game supports up to 4 player simultaneous multiplayer, a first for 3D Mario games. Both times I played with four people. After selecting a level we were taken to a player select screen. The characters were Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Peach. Both times I played as Luigi, since he is my preferred character in these types of Mario games. From there, we immediately jumped into the level.

A new 3D adventure awaits

World 4-2 was set in the clouds and connected sections of the stage through the use of pipes. These pipes featured different routes that anyone could take with a quick tilt of the analog stick. Sometimes the pipes would have spiked bombs inside that could be blown up with either projectiles or our character. The pipe system was fun, added some chaos later on, and occasionally had to be used to solve a puzzle to advance in the stage. This particular level did not involve the use of the new cat themed power up, but instead the classic Fire Flower. The enemies throughout the level were Piranha Plants and Black Fuzzies. We even found a secret cloud area, that lead to a competitive mini game of sorts. A line of clouds was set up with gaps in between them. Each cloud had rows of Piranha Plants and a speed boost like pad. Between the four of us, it quickly turned into “who could be the fastest” and left a few of us in the dust, waiting till that portion ended. At the end of the cloud section there was a green star to collect, just like in Super Mario Galaxy. It seemed that there were three green stars to collect in each level.

Pipes, Fuzzies, and Green Stars! Oh my!

World 6-3 was a much different experience than World 4-2. Rather than being in the clouds, this level was grounded, but we were climbing. This is were the Cat Suit power up came into play. Right off the bat, four Cat Bells were discovered and all of us turned into our cat counter parts. Our characters seemed to move faster, since they were running on all fours. Hitting the attack button sent your character into a roll attack with claws out. Rolling allowed us to keep our momentum, which was extremely helpful when trying to climb. If one of us missed a jump it was easy to quickly latch onto the wall and run up to join the others. You cannot run up the wall forever, but for a good while before you start to slow down. It was fun to create our own paths and find hidden green stars by using the Cat Suit.

Cat Mario may be able to climb, but can he stop a Bullet Bill?

Graphically, Super Mario 3D World is crisp and colorful. Colors stand out, defining new terrain and paths. It is easy to see who is who since each character is a distinct color. Elements like grass or rock looked great. The grass would come out from under your paws as your ran across it. Backgrounds seemed a bit lacking, but most of your attention is spent in the foreground, trying to navigate to your next goal. There were no jagged or unpleasant looking edges or textures. Everything looked and ran smoothly. The Wii U can clearly handle all the action going on and it looks stellar.

A great looking Mario game

The multiplayer aspect, a first for a 3D Mario game, seems to fit right in to the universe. If you have ever played New Super Mario Bros Wii or Wii U then you know what to expect. Communication is essential, unless you’re out to beat you team members. Bringing the multiplayer into a 3D world though frees up some off the chaos though, since there are more areas to explore and room to breathe.

Let the multiplayer chaos ensue

The jumping mechanics are similar to those of Super Mario 3D Land; they are good, but sometimes not as spot on as other Mario games. There were a few times I thought I would have easily made the jump as Luigi, but was just a tad short. The GamePad mirrors the television screen exactly, with a few special abilities. Just like in the DS Mario entries, the player can hold an extra item. Using the GamePad, players can hold that item then tap the icon whenever they need a boost. Another GamePad feature is an ability to see hidden blocks that aren’t on the television screen. Once or twice I noticed a special block and tapped it to reveal it to my teammates. You can see a lot of potential for hidden paths or green stars through this method.

The GamePad offers some unique gameplay mechanics

Super Mario 3D World may not have been what most people were expecting for the next 3D Mario game, but don’t let that discourage you from trying it out. The game is genuinely fun and unique. It is a great looking game and really provides that Nintendo Experience. The multiplayer is a blast and certainly adds new depth to a 3D Mario game. And yes, Cat Mario is super fun.

I remember the first time I saw Lara Croft. It was in the fourth Tomb Raider game, Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation. As a nine year old kid, the game blew my mind. Exploring tombs and temples, fighting bad guys with dual pistols, Lara was the ultimate explorer. I loved it so much that I traded my exclusive Pokémon Mystery Dungeon booklet for my friend’s copy, which I still have to this day. Flash forward ten years to Lara’s latest adventure and you will find that Crystal Dynamic’s Tomb Raider has made me feel nine all over again. While Tomb Raider is not perfect, it is one of the year’s best games and has plenty to offer. There are temples and tombs to explore with a superb combat system, all propelled by an excellent story.

For my full review on Tomb Raider, head on over to my website- goleftgaming.wordpress.com

Here is a ling to the review itself- http://goleftgaming.wordpress.com/2013/05/28/tomb-raider-review/

"What happens when you mix avocados, onions, tomatoes, limes, garlic cloves, and peppers? You get a delicious bowl of guacamole. Now what would happen if you took memes, intense platforming, rich environments, deep combat, hilarious dialog, and gorgeous levels into one game?"

To read the rest of my review on DrinkBox Studio's latest game Guacamelee check it out on my website! http://goleftgaming.wordpress.com

I just beat Bioshock Infinite. Literally just beat it. My fingers are flying as I type this, way too late on a school night. But I just can't help it. Bioshock Infinite. Wow. But as I digest what I just experienced, a question popped in my head; "Does that story make up for the questionable mechanics?". Well does it? Shortly Bioshock Infinite's release, to me, it seemed reviewers were looking for something wrong, in what I had heard was a perfect game. I bought Infinite on launch, but was away from my PlayStation, on vacation, so I started a week behind everyone else. This gave me the opportunity to take in critic's and friend's (when you think about it, they're both one and the same) opinions and compare them to my experience. Another benefit I had coming into Infinite was that for all of my gaming years I had avoid first person shooters. Sure I had played them with friends, but I could solemnly say I had never purchased, played, or beaten a FPS for myself. I always found them disorienting and difficult. That all changed with Far Cry 3 last year. With no real knowledge on what are good and bad first person shooter mechanics and the slew of critiques on Bioshock Infinite, I wasn't sure if what I was playing (mechanically speaking) was a masterpiece or something in need of improvement. Sure, some things bothered me, like some disorientation or poor lighting, but don't all first person shooters suffer from that? Isn't that the "norm"?

So my question is this- Does a game's story outweigh the game's mechanics? Can something so well written and executed trump a poor technical decision? It may not even be the plot, but the graphics or the replay value. Are the mechanics the straw to break the camel's back? After what I just played, story tumps mechanics, hands down. But that is an isolated situation and, like I said before, I am no FPS master. So what do you think? Share your thoughts with me below in the comments section. I wanna hear your reasons and why. Should Columbia be praised to the heavens? Or shot down by it's own shortcomings?

All throughout their public education kids are taught, when writing a paper, you must have a "hook" to grab the readers attention. This rule is engrained into students minds so much that it becomes second nature. This idea of a hook though, is really in every form of media; books, music, television, movies, and video games. It is the creator's job to grab your attention within a certain time frame and not let go. In the video game industry it is particularly important due to the large investment in making the game and the fact it is one of the more expensive forms of entertainment available to the consumer. With all that in mind, I wanted to share what I think are the most unforgettable hooks, aka introductions, of this generation. Now I haven't played every single game of this generation. I am sure I have missed some great games. This list is simply from what I have played myself. But I want you guys to share with me your top 5 and what I'm missing out. Do that in the comments section below this article. So without further ado, here are the top 5 unforgettable game introductions of this generation.

#5: Batman: Arkham City

Bright white lights. Sounds pretty unforgettable right? Good because as soon as you start Batman: Arkham City, that is what you will see. Then you hear a mysterious man call out to wake Mr. Wayne up and apparently you two need to discuss some things. The man is quickly identified as Dr. Hugo Strange, and the fact of HOW you came into his custody is quickly told in a series of flashbacks. Arkham Asylum is shut down and a new super prison is built right it the center of Gotham. Logical right? Bruce decides to take some public action and jump into the political side of Gotham to try and shut this madhouse down. Suddenly the police and S.W.A.T teams show up and arrest Bruce. We fade back to the present and Strange goes on about something called Protocol 10, oh and he knows Bruce Wayne is Batman. Strange leaves Bruce and turns on the lights, dazing our hero. In front of you, the wall is a mirror, and you see Bruce all tied up and in handcuffs. THIS is where the gameplay begins. The game prompts you to move the left analog stick left and right, causing you to fall over and break the chair. An alarm goes off and a single guard enters. No sweat, follow the game prompt to counter and you break his leg. Easy. From here you are escorted to the gate of Arkham City Prison. The doors open and you are met by more of Gotham's thugs. Here is where the game teaches you how to counter, the key to Arkham City's combat. After picking off the prisoners, you are overwhelmed and taken away by The Penguin and his men. You wake up in some small back alley surrounded. The Penguin goes on about some old family rivalry and slips on some brass knuckles, ready to beat up on Bruce Wayne. Counter and you break his hand AND your handcuffs. You knock out all the men and proceed forward by climbing up a fire escape. Now right before you RISE (ba da chhhh) out of the alley you have the option you walk up to the crying Penguin and uppercut him unconscious. That is SO satisfying. Climb out of the alley and you radio Alfred to deliver a drop within Arkham City. You proceed to climb up an ACE Chemical building to collect your drop and suit up. Yes the prompt literally says "Suit Up". Then you become The Batman and also earn a trophy/achievement titled "I'm Batman".

The reason I selected Batman: Arkham City is the way it flows. It quickly and clearly explains the backstory of the game. As you progress through the intro it easily explains the game's core mechanics. It's simple, elegant, and epic. Most player's are shocked to hear the antagonist also knows Batman's secret identity, which compels the player to find out why and how Hugo Strange found out Bruce's secret. I also love how players get to experience the transition from Bruce Wayne to Batman. It is a rare moment to see our hero actually suit up and it's even cooler to fight your way to the Bat Suit. It is definitely satisfactory to hit that "Suit Up" button and become The Batman.

#4: God of War 3

“My vengeance ends now.” The first words out of Kratos’s mouth in God of War 3. You KNOW it is about to get crazy. The third main entry in the saga picks up immediately where God of War 2 left off. I mean immediately, it doesn’t miss a beat. Kratos has used the Sisters of Fate to go back in time before the Great War and bring the Titans to the present to aid him in the destruction of Olympus. They are climbing the great mountain, ready to tear it to the ground. Zeus, King of the Gods and Olympus, begins a speech, bringing the gods together to stop this threat. He uses words like ‘we’ and ‘us’ to unite the Olympians, but in the same breath call it “his mountain” and that HE “will wipe out this plague”. This is a great glimpse into the huge ego of Zeus. The gods unite, and attack. You see Hermes, Hades, Helios, Poseidon, Hercules (a demigod, but he still shows up), and, of course, Zeus. A few Titans are taken out and Poseidon jumps into the sea, becoming this giant whirlpool, sea crab/horse creature. And that is your first boss battle. You climd around Gaia, defeat some undead minions, then the battle begins. This huge sea monster attacks the arms of Gaia and you must free her to ascend to Olympus. After you defeat Poseidon’s creature, you fling the god to the mountain and follow. Then the series's iconic circle button mini game begins. But instead of sticking to a third person few of beating Poseidon to a pulp, the camera switches to a first person view; Poseidon’s view. From this, you see truly what a monster Kratos is and just truly how far he is willing to go. Right at the end of the minigame, the final prompt is L3 + R3. As soon as I hit those buttons I realized what I had just done. I had blinded Poseidon and crushed his skull. That is still, what I believe to be, the most gruesome kill in all of God of War. No one will ever forget hitting L3 + R3 to kill the god of the sea, which is one reason why God of War 3 has such an unforgettable introduction.

#3: Far Cry 3

Far Cry 3 was widely considered one of the best games of 2012 and even won a couple of Game of the Year awards. With it’s open world style, combined with a dark, gritty jungle and spot on first person shooter mechanics, it is easy to see why it received such critical acclaim. What was so enticing about this game to me was the villain, Vaas. A true psycho, Vaas’s performances on screen are masterful. You cannot take your eyes off him.

The game starts by showing some previously recorded footage of a bunch of rich, spoiled young adults partying around some islands. You instantly grow to hate them. Then the screen pulls back; you were watching it all on a phone. Your hands are tied, your mouth taped shut, and the man of the hour begins to talk. His plan is to sell you back to your parents for a handsome amount of money, while setting you in your place along the way. Across from you is your brother Grant, also restrained in the cage. Vaas is called away, leaving a single guard outside the cage. Suddenly Grant breaks lose and frees you. He thinks of a plan and you call the guard over. Grant quickly kills the guard, something he learned in the Army, while you freak out that the man is dead. This shows how innocent your character, Jason, really is. He doesn’t know how to fight and survive, let alone kill a man. Which makes it all the more intriguing because you know he becomes an insane killer, just like Vaas. You want to play the game to find out just how Jason gets pushed so far. One part of the answer reveals itself not much later when, just as you and Grant are about to escape Vass’s compound, Grant is shot. In the neck. Jason starts panicing, holding down Grant’s wound, trying to stop the bleeding. In the background you hear Vaas ranting, very faint and distorted. When your brother is dead, your sense come back and you look at Vaas and he yells “RUN FORREST, RUN!” and you bolt. Gunshots and men pursue you in the dark, dense forrest. All you can do is run, jump, and climb your way to safety. You make it to a bridge, which is shot down by a helicopter and you fall into the river below. As you float away, an arm reaches in and saves you, then the credits roll. Welcome to insanity.

#2: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

I had asked for a PS3 for three years straight for Christmas. Three years. I finally got one and it was none other than the Uncharted 3 bundle. 320gb PS3 and Uncharted 3. The Uncharted series has always looked spectacular to me and I was stoked. But I had the third game. I needed one and two, or at least play them first to understand everything. I found a friend with Uncharted 1 that day, and played and beat it all in one sitting the next day. Okay enough rambling, but why the backstory? I want to set the stage for just what I saw and experienced when I got to play Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The whole generation I had never seen anything truly above 480p because of my Wii. I never got huge, grand adventures around the world in game on my television. When I popped in Uncharted 2, I was blown away.

The game opens with a quote from Marco Polo on his death bed. He said “I did not tell half of what I saw for I knew I would not be believed...”. Then a fade from black to the cutscene. We see a train in some rough shape, probably from a gun fight earlier or something like that. The camera pans to Nathan Drake, who just wakes up from unconsciousness. Both Drake and yourself quickly realize that he has lost quite a bit of blood. Drake then looks out the window and sees a mountain. Sounds pretty normal considering the area, the Himalayas, except for one tiny detail; the mountain is sideways. Suddenly items are falling toward Drake and the fact sinks in that the train is vertical. Drake falls from his chair, our the train and barely grabs onto a rail. We see all around fire and smoke and the train car hanging off a cliff. Now the gameplay begins. You shimmy Drake along the rail and up the train car. But the process is slow, you hear Drake wince in pain. You feel the struggle with Drake. Boulders are falling down, slowing you down even more. Once at the top of the vertical car, the rest of the train starts to fall. There is a rush of adrenaline every time I play that sequence. I jump and run as fast as I can to make it to solid ground. Drake makes the jump and barely grabs a ledge, pulls himself up and passes out. The game then fades to a cutscene from a few weeks earlier that establishes characters and the backstory.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is truly a fantastic work of storytelling, gameplay, and cinematography. I always get a pleasure out of playing it time and time again. And of course, I will never forget my first time climbing up that train.

#1: Bioshock Infinite (Don’t worry totally spoiler free)

What can I say about Bioshcok Infinite? I suppose I could talk about the intro, and I will, but there is just so much to talk about the game. At the time of writing I am half way through the campaign and just...wow. Go play Infinite. You’ll be glad you did.

The game opens with a few lines between the main characters, Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth. Then we are in a boat. There is a storm and a man and woman are rowing Booker to a lighthouse in the distance. The two are bickering back and forth about whether the lady should row or not. They are paying no mind to Booker. The only real communication between them in when said lady passes Booker a box filled with a gun, picture, and a few other items. They arrive and leave Booker on a dock in the rain. You walk up to the lighthouse door and knock. On the door is a bloodstained note, which says “DeWitt− Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt. This is your last chance!”. You proceed to walk inside, greeted by a simple picture that says “Of Thy Sins, Shall I Wash Thee” above a basin of water. You climb the stairs, met by more pictures with similar religious text. Then you reach the third floor. In front of you is a bloodied body, sack over head, with a note telling Booker not to disappoint (there are quite a few notes in this intro I just realized). Barely phased, you continue your climb to the top of the lighthouse, where you find three bells and ring them. Then things get weird. The sky booms with noise and glows a terrible red color. The gate creaks open and a single, red chair rises from the floor. Seeing no other option, you sit down. Suddenly harnesses secure Booker and parts start moving and counting down to ascension. Five, four, three, two, one...BOOM! You shoot up fifteen thousand feet, burst through the stormy clouds and see the floating city of Columbia. During that entire sequence I held my breath, just like Booker. I even pushed my feet into the floor, trying to slow my ascent. And Columbia was beautiful. A chilling piano plays in the background as you glide down to the surface of Columbia. Then your adventure begins.

Watch Bioshock Infinite’s introduction below

As this generation comes to a close, it’s nice to look back and remember the best moments this generation had to offer. These were mine. What are yours? Share your top 5 unforgettable game introductions below in the comments and tell me what I’m missing out on.

]]>Sun, 07 Apr 2013 19:40:45 -0700Edithttp://www.ign.com/blogs/mudkip1430/2013/04/07/top-5-unforgettable-game-introductions-of-this-generation-2#disqus_threadhttp://www.ign.com/blogs/mudkip1430/2013/03/17/what-are-you-playing-over-spring-break
It is that wonderful time of the year again. Where for no reason what-so-ever schools across the nation take one week off. Why? Just cause. All sorts of crazy shenanigans happen during Spring Break (for Pete's sake there is a movie called Spring Breakers), but one thing that usually is the same for gamers across the board at this time of year is just that; gaming. It's the time we take to try new games or go back and catch up on older titles. Gamer scores go up and hours are poured into mastering skills. This Spring Break is no different so I thought I'd share what games I plan on tackling during this break and see what games you guys plan on playing. So here we go!

#1- Fire Emblem: Awakening

This Spring Break I am taking a road trip up north for a majority of it, which means one thing; portable gaming. After KH: 3D, my 3DS has been collecting some dust. It wasn't because there were no games, it was just my PS3 took precedence. No longer! Thanks to IGN's praise, Metacritics high score, and nonstop worship of this game from my friends I decided to snag a copy of Fire Emblem: Awakening as soon as I could. I haven't started it, simply to save it for the road, but the longer I wait, the more my anticipation builds. Having never played a Fire Emblem game I am super excited to dive into this one, particularly for the characters and permadeath.

Some pretty cool cartridge art

#2- Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Sticking (<<< Sorry, I had to) with portable gaming, my next game is Paper Mario: Sticker Star. I absolutely love Paper Mario (up until Super Paper Mario that is) and could probably play, beat, and 100% Thousand Year Door with my eyes closed. I have been asking for a portable Paper Mario experience for ages and was super excited when Nintendo announced Sticker Star. Then I lost some hype when they said almost everything I loved about Paper Mario was kicked out and replaced with stickers. But being true to the series and the idea itself seeming pretty unique I decided to pick up a copy and play through it.

Will I "stick" with it?

#3- Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon

Finally (as far as portables go) the sequel to Luigi's Mansion (a game I love) comes out in just a week! I just have to pick up my copy launch day. I have been wanting a sequel for quite some time and never thought the sequel would be portable. After seeing footage and reading previews, I don't think I could see the sequel any other way. It looks genuine to the formula and like a great game for the 3DS. And who could forget that it is the Year of Luigi!

March 24 it&#Array;s time to catch ghosts

#4 & 5- God of War: Ascension and Far Cry 3 (Platinum)

I decided to combine four and five because for a majority of Spring Break I will be away from my PS3. But on the few days I am at home I do plan on playing Ascension and (hopefully) getting the Platinum for Far Cry 3. I plan on having a review for God of War as soon as I beat the campaign and spend some more time in the multiplayer. Keep your eye out for that review soon.

So those are the games I plan on playing this Spring Break, but what about you guys? Going portable like me? Or staying home? Playing some of those new releases in March? Or going back to older games? Let me know down below in the comments! Have a great Spring Break guys!

So much news has been flowing out in these last two weeks building up to Ascension's launch on March 12, 2013. Santa Monica Studios has pushed out almost all of the final multiplayer details, showing TONS of new footage. We know the final weapon type, the fourth multiplayer mode, have seen footage of Poseidon warriors, and two new stages in just the past three days alone! So here is all the new multiplayer news in one spot! Check it all out!

To start off Santa Monica published a video showing off the Mythological Heroes pack in multiplayer. While the costumes are very cool in appearance, the teaser also shows off a new secondary weapon and some new stages! Two new stages are confirmed in this teaser. One seems to be medium sized with some sort of pit in the middle. Possibly based off the film "300"? Also on this stage we see the new secondary weapon, which appears to be Medusa's Head. I imagine it would work a lot like the item does in PlayStation All Stars and in other God of War games. The second stage is one, if you had access to the beta are familiar with, is where the multiplayer tutorial takes place, Olympus. A very small circular stage, even smaller than the Forum of Hercules, that I'm sure will be a blood bath stage. To see the armor and stages in action check the trailer out below

Possible "300" Stage?

Medusa&#Array;s Head

Olympus Stage

Shortly after the Mythological Heroes pack footage, Sony shows off the special GameStop pre-order bonus, King Leonidas, footage. The footage, again, shows off the armor, but also confirms the third weapon type in multiplayer, the Spear and Shield combo. Working a lot like the spear and shield in Ghost of Sparta except it seems you have one out at a time. The shield may just be a special block or command attack. The spear itself seems to have quite the long reach and is very fast. If you want to see Leonidas Armor and Spear/Shield gameplay in action watch it here-

The next update shows off Poseidon warriors and their abilities. According to the video, these warriors have high defense and use ice to slow down and destroy their opponents. Through the use of their magic, they can also heal themselves quickly, along with teammates. It seem like Poseidon warriors are the best for conservative players who want to out last and weaken their foes. To see this type of hero in action watch this video-

Three new stages we just confirmed today (03/07) and they all look quite dynamic. The names of the stages are the Bog of the Forgotten, the Labyrinth of DaeDalus, and the Walls of Troy. Bog of the Forgotten is a stage run over with plants. In the middle of the stage is a giant stone Medusa head with glowing red eyes.

Bog of the Forgotten

At times during the match it seems the head may be activated to turn your opponents into stone. The Bog seems to be a medium sized stage. The Labyrinth of DaeDalus is straight from God of War 3. Big boxes that will rotate at the flip of the switch. This looks like the most chaotic stage so far. It will be interesting to see the kinds of strategy players will implement on this map. The third stage revealed is the Walls of Troy. This is the stage above that I said may be a "300" themed stage and it appears that I was right. A small/medium sized stage with a giant pit in the center. I expect tons of Sparta Kicks into the pit. Another stage shown is what appears to be Athens under siege from the second God of War game, although Santa Monica has not confirmed that stage at the time of writing.

Athens under siege?

The video shows off these three new stages and some new gameplay. An interesting tidbit about the gameplay in this video is the shield on the warrior's back in the Bog of the Forgotten. This shows that shields are secondary weapons, not apart of the Spear weapon class. We also see the Medusa Head is action as well on the Athens stage. Something else very cool on the Athens stage is the use of time manipulation, a mechanic from the single player mode. The bridge is destroyed, killing players, then the surviving warrior brings it back with the familiar green glow. To see all the new stages and gameplay in action watch this video-

Finally, with only six days until launch, Santa Monica announced the fourth multiplayer mode, Trial of the Gods. This is a co-op mode, where players are pitted against waves of enemies that get progressively harder. With a friend this mode looks like it could be my favorite. It just looks like pure fun. I asked Santa Monica Studios and Todd Papy (the game's director) if there would be any co-op brutal kills, such as in the Team Favor of the Gods mode. I haven't heard back from them yet, but I will update this blog with the information if I do. To see this brand new exciting mode, watch here-

That is it so far! It seems there is something new about Ascension every day this week. I will be sure to update if any new announcements are made. So what do you guys think of Ascension's multiplayer mode? Like the idea? What god will you pledge allegiance to? First mode you want to try out? Leave comments below and be ready for March 12!!

]]>Wed, 06 Mar 2013 10:39:00 -0800Edithttp://www.ign.com/blogs/mudkip1430/2013/03/06/god-of-war-ascension-multiplayer-news#disqus_threadhttp://www.ign.com/blogs/mudkip1430/2013/03/02/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-world-premiere-leaked
As some of you may know, earlier today the world premiere trailer was leaked onto the internet. Ubisoft responded by making the video private and pulling down most of the copies from YouTube. I snagged the original video, in HD, and have it here to share with the Creed.

From the video we learn that the rumors about the new assassin being Connor's grandfather are correct. You take control of Captain Edward Kenway and pillage and plunder the Caribbean; Assassin Style. Edward boasts an impressive arsenal carrying four pistols, two swords, and one hidden blade (although there may be dual hidden blades). His outfit reminds me of Altair's and Connor's, while his persona seems more like Ezio's, based of his love of adventure, treasure, and women. Ship battles from AC3 are back as well (kind of a no duh). Another interesting scene was Edward swimming beneath the ocean in a reef. Could we explore the ocean blue? We just might. We also learn from the trailer about GameStop's preorder bonus. Similar to AC3's bonus of a Steelbox case for the game, folks that preorder get an exclusive poster of the game. It is, in fact, the poster that leaked earlier in the week.

Here is our Assassin, Edward Kenway

Deep Sea Diving

Release Date

What do you guys think of the new Assassin's Creed game? Like the Pirate setting/theme? Too soon a release? Leave your comments below and let me know what you think!

]]>Sat, 02 Mar 2013 13:23:35 -0800Edithttp://www.ign.com/blogs/mudkip1430/2013/03/02/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-world-premiere-leaked#disqus_threadhttp://www.ign.com/blogs/mudkip1430/2013/02/21/god-of-war-ascension-preview
-Everything you need to know about Santa Monica Studio's latest game for the PS3-

By: Max Roberts

With the PlayStation 4 just being announced it can be easy to forget about the current generation and the upcoming games, even huge blockbusters. The PS3 has three big exclusives still coming out and we are fast approaching the first of the trio, God of War: Ascension.

SINGLE PLAYER

Sony Santa Monica's latest entry is the third prequel the God of War series has seen, but it is the first console prequel, with the other two being on the PSP. It has been six short months after Ares fooled Kratos into slaughtering his own wife and daughter. Tormented and lost, Kratos has only one purpose; to kill Ares. But before he can slay the God of War, the Furies capture Kratos and imprison him. This is where the game starts.

Concept Art for the Beginning

Kratos wakes up, chained by the arms and around the neck. It doesn't take Kratos long to escape and injury one of the three Furies. From there, Kratos wrecks havoc on the Furies' prison, "freeing" the enslaved and killing the bug monsters that spawn out from the one of the Furies.

Recently released to Santa Monica's online campaign participants, the Rise of the Warrior (more on that below), the game's single player demo takes you into Ascension's first 30 minutes of gameplay, shown across the web just a few weeks ago. The demo goes live for all PlayStation 3 owners next week, on February 26. Having finally played the demo, let me say this – it is one thing to watch the first 30 minutes online, it is another thing entirely to play them. In just 30 minutes alone I felt immersed in this game with that familiar God of War feeling of destruction and total violence, but with a deeper combat experience and a huge, gorgeous world. The God of War series is known for its mashing of the square and triangle buttons and context sensitive minigames to perform brutal and grotesque kills. And all of that is back, but with a new depth found in the way players can now use foes and their weapons as part of Kratos' attacks. I could easily combine square and triangle attacks, then tap R1 to grapple a foe, swing him around as a weapon before smashing him into the nearest wall. After blocking an incoming attack, I could hit circle to disarm my foe, then with another tap of R1 to pick up HIS weapon. This unlocks a whole new way to string attacks between a foe's weapon and the Blades of Chaos. Hitting the circle button replaces physical attacks with the secondary weapon's moves. Then for a powerful finisher I could hit L1 and circle to get rid of that secondary weapon while killing enemies. Santa Monica has given Kratos combos, real genuine combos. Chaining kills has never been so thrilling before. This new combat style for Kratos gives the game a much deeper combat experience that makes the player feel like an even bigger badass at the end of a battle.

The game, as expected, is drop dead gorgeous. Santa Monica Studios is pushing the PS3 to its very limit, taking every ounce of power it can. Skin on characters looks palpable and when Kratos rips enemies in half above him the blood rains down and sticks to his skin. By the end of a battle Kratos is red, soaked in his enemy’s blood. Besides character detail, the environments are huge, sharp, and just as detailed as character models. The Furies’ prison is massive, with detail stretching far into the background of the scene. One part when Kratos is scaling a wall on the outer wall of the prison, I could see how far up from the Earth’s surface I was. But instead of just a green field below, there were sections of farm land, hills, forests, and roads with birds flying between myself and the ground. It was breathtaking to see the amount of detail the team at Santa Monica has poured into this game. This very well could be the best looking game on the PS3.

The Landscape Below the Prison

MULTIPLAYER

The biggest shock with Ascension was the announcement of a multiplayer mode. Todd Papy, the game’s director, knew this would be the hardest selling point to fans of the series, so Santa Monica has spent a majority of the game’s publicity showing off the new multiplayer mode. This was a huge mountain for the team to overcome with the fans, and after my time with the Beta (courtesy of Todd Papy and Twitter) I can say they not only overcame the mountain, the demolished it. The premise of multiplayer in God of War is mortals pledging allegiance to one of four gods; Zeus, Ares, Hades, and Poseidon (note: In the Beta only Ares and Zeus were available to players). Once your oath is sworn you gain skills, power, and magic specific to each god. I aligned with Ares gaining stronger physical attacks at the cost of magic points. Ares warriors wield fire based magic and Zeus, obviously, wields electricity. One important note is that you can switch between allegiances any time before a match, so you, technically, have four characters. The final choice players have for their characters is weapon type. In the Beta there was either a sword or a hammer, but when the full game launches on March 12 there will be at least one more weapon type. I personally chose the hammer, again for power over speed.

An Ares Warrior

The modes are straight forward, with three confirmed and one still a mystery. There is Favor of the Gods, Team Favor of the Gods, and Capture the Flag. During the Beta all three modes were open at one point or another and I had the opportunity to play them all. The two Favor of the God modes are death match rounds. Simply kill the other players as brutally as possible and rack up the most points. The controls are the same as the single player, adding combos and chain kills, throughly rewarding players. Team Favor of the Gods involves capturing any of the three bases on the stage to rack up points, while kills also go toward your ultimate goal. Another very cool factor in Team Favor was the ability to kill the giant Cyclops as a team for the win, no matter the points. At any point in the match the Spear of Olympus comes down on the field. After that it’s a mad slaughter race to grab the spear. Who ever gets it can damage the Cyclops and use teammates to kill it for the win. Incorporating the cinematic style kills God of War is known for, both in Brutal Kills and the Cyclops fight, make players feel like true champions of the gods. Capture the Flag is just as you would expect. Instead of bases like in Team Favor there are flags and after a score of 5 a team wins.

Team Favor of the Gods

As far as stages go there were only two in the Beta, The Desert of Lost Souls and the Forum of Hercules. The Desert of Lost Souls is a large map used for team focused matches. It has two levels to it with plenty of stage hazards players can set to trap opponents, or teammates. The Forum of Hercules is straight from God of War 3. It is a tight arena where combat is forced. Combos can be easily interrupted if you aren’t careful. There are many more stages promised for the whole game, mainly from key previous God of War locations.

The multiplayer mode is exciting for both God of War veterans and new players alike. It definitely raises Ascension’s replay value with a highly satisfying and rewarding experience. Old fans should not be scared of this new mode and try it, because I promise you when you start playing, you won’t want to stop.

RISE OF THE WARRIOR

As part of Sony’s promotional campaign for God of War: Ascension, they have a digital comic prequel on the official site (http://www.godofwar.com/). While this initial concept may only interest some, what should interest all future Ascension players is that Rise of the Warrior is littered with exclusive multiplayer DLC and concept art you won’t find anywhere else. To unlock all the goodies, all participants have to do increase their points, leveling up. To earn the points you simply have to answer riddles at the end of each chapter and then share to a social network for additional points. If a riddle stumps you there is a convenient “seek help” button that’ll link you to a site with help. The riddles themselves aren’t too difficult and if you want all the answers fast, a quick Google search should pull them up. It’s a unique promotional campaign that gives out FREE content. I’d encourage anyone planning to buy the game to try it out, it can only reward you. Sign up using your PSN account or any social network here (Rise of the Warrior) and unlock that DLC.

Rise of the Warrior DLC 1

Rise of the Warrior DLC 2

Rise of the Warrior DLC 3

MISCELLANEOUS

As a huge God of War fan, I have taken in every detail about Ascension that I can and in this small section I wanted to share them with you. First up are the games multiple editions and pre-order bonuses. There are just two editions, Standard and Collector’s. The standard costs $59.99 and is just the game itself with whatever pre-order bonuses you may have.

Standard Edition

The Collector’s Edition is one sweet deal. It costs $79.99 and comes with plenty more. It comes packaged with the game itself, a 6 inch Kratos statue, a premium steelbook case for the game, the official soundtrack, a 48 hour multiplayer XP booster, a DLC season pass, a PS3 dynamic theme, and PS3 avatar pack. For only $20 more it’s quite the deal for God of War fans. Here is a video of the official unboxing of the Collector's Edition-

Collector&#Array;s Edition

For pre-order bonuses, all retailers include the Mythological Heroes multiplayer DLC pack. It includes four ancient greek heroes for multiplayer; Perseus, Orion, Achilles, and Odysseus. As for exclusive pre-order bonuses, only three retailers have special bonuses so far; GameStop, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy. GameStop has special King Leonidas “300” Amor and Spear multiplayer DLC, a 48 hour multiplayer XP boost, and a double sided Ascension poster.

GameStop&#Array;s Pre-Order Bonuses

Wal-Mart has the Blade of Judgement, a multiplayer exclusive weapon.

Wal-Mart Pre-Orders Bonus

Then Best Buy has the Mjolnir Hammer (Thor’s hammer) as a multiplayer DLC weapon.

Best Buy Pre-Order Bonus

GameStop clearly has the most benefits for preordering, but that Blade of Judgement DOES look sick.

Another interesting tidbit about God of War: Ascension pertains to the Player’s Guide, or the game’s lack of one. Curious if the game would launch with a Collector’s Edition Strategy Guide (to be a companion to my copy of the Collector’s Edition) I tweeted at Sony Santa Monica hoping for a reply. The respond shortly after with this information “We have no strategy guide plans but we will on our MOBILE website”. It struck me as interesting for the company to have a mobile player’s guide, rather than a printed copy. It’ll be interesting to see how the guide itself is done and how it will compare to other guides or wikis across the internet.

The Strategy Guide Tweet

The final piece of interesting news for God of War: Ascension isn’t even about the game itself. Instead it is about what come packaged with the game. For anyone that purchases a copy of Ascension they automatically get first access to a demo of The Last of Us, Naughty Dog's latest title and one of the three final PS3 blockbuster exclusives. This is very very exciting for fans of either franchise. Whether the demo will be available right at Ascension’s launch or not I do not know. Either way it’ll be great to finally play The Last of Us, after so much hype and great press about the game.

The Last of Us Demo

God of War: Ascension is a highly ambitious title for both the PS3 and Sony Santa Monica. With the PlayStation 4 finally upon us, it’s important for people to see why the PS3 is still relevant and also why a God of War game is still relevant. Being the sixth entry in the series, Ascension has a lot to prove to players and so far it’s going above and beyond expectations. With launch only 19 days away and the PS3 on it’s final leg we shall see how Santa Monica Studio’s latest game goes for the Ghost of Sparta.

Let me start with, to me, this is somewhat of a huge honor. I have been a faithful, die hard Sly fan from his very first caper. For my first review to be on Sly's fourth adventure I just feel privileged. While this review is all self motivated and, in essence, practice for me in my pursuit of video game journalism I still feel honored to write about Sly and the Gang and to share my thoughts with YOU. So I'd like to say thank you for reading this review, and thank you Sanzaru games for picking up the cane to carry on the Cooper legacy.

Sly Cooper: Thieves in time is the gang's fourth outing with quite a bit of new territory for the group. This is Sly's first time going portable, first (new) game in HD, and of course behind it all is a new developer. The question is had Sanzaru kept true to the Cooper legacy, while adding their own flare? Or should Sly have stayed back in the PS2 era? In short the answer is yes Sly is back, some could say better than ever, and this game is a must for all PS3 and Vita owners. With awesome graphics, polished gameplay, characters you really care about, and for a steal of deal at $40 (for BOTH PS3 and Vita editions) Sly's latest heist is one players will keep coming back to.

We've all seen Sly in HD before with the Sly Collection, Sanzaru's proving grounds to Sony to continue the franchise and they did a great job. It looked sharp, felt good, and the addition of Trophies, with three easily obtainable Platinums, made it a great reason to dive back into the series for veterans or an excellent starting place for newcomers. But that was just updating some textures and adding trophies, Thieves in Time is exactly what Sly should look and feel like in HD. While the game is no Uncharted 3 or Journey in jaw-dropping graphics, this game is just soaked in detail. Absolutely dripping with it. Each HUB is vibrant and lush with all the tiniest, richest details. You’ll notice coy fish splashing and feeding near waterfalls in Feudal Japan, tumbleweeds roll by in the Old West, and varieties of small animals (not guards) such as pigs or penguins or baby T-rexes mulling about. Every world feels special and full of its own little quirks and secrets. While playing through, sometimes I’d just get lost exploring and just enjoy the world Sanzaru had crafted for me.

The character models are top-notch as well. With a total of nine fully playable characters, each with their own special move set and actions, it’s hard not to appreciate the detail each has. The way Sly and his ancestors tails twitch and move is different, even the way they tip toe behind unsuspecting enemies is different from the last. All of Sly’s costumes cause him to move and react in a different way as well. It feels like a new character every time Sly puts one on. Bentley and his movements are sharp and crisp as he rolls through stages. The wheelchair IS Bentley and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Murray feels true to himself, the way he blunders about and takes out huge groups of foes. It is honestly a true delight to watch and play as these characters.

For the Sly games, the core of gameplay is to stay hidden. To do that the player must pick pockets, hone disguises, and most important of all, jump and hit the circle button. Sanzaru did not change any of that, but managed to give the mechanics more depth. In combat situations there are combos and attacks players can use to get out of tight spots. Through the use of Sly’s new costumes there are all new ways to navigate throughout each HUB. Once you earn a costume, you may also take it to previous areas and use its abilities to access new hidden areas that were blocked off to you before, which you’ll have to do to get the game’s challenging Platinum.To help players navigate through the huge worlds (3x the size of the worlds in Sly 3) Sanzaru created a map and compass that can appear at the click of a button. One key concern most players had going into Thieve in Time was that the Cooper ancestors would be simple clones of Sly. That, thankfully, is not the case. Each ancestor is unique with their own move set, abilities, and thieving style. While actions like pick pocketing are identical, the way each ancestor moves and interacts with environments is different from the next, making the game have truly nine playable characters. A downside to all the detail and large HUBs is the game’s loading times. They are almost unbearable. I would scroll through my Twitter feed or respond to messages, even get snacks while each outing got loaded up. Every time you leave the gang’s hideout or time travel to a new period the game would have thirty second or more loading times. I feel like just a simple install data could have shortened these ridiculous load time tremendously. The game is roughly 14 gigabytes on PS3 and 3.2 on the Vita, an install data could have helped speed up this game greatly. Along with these load times there was also some lag, especially when a lot of action was going on. It mainly happen in the third and fifth worlds and frustrated me when it did happen. I hope this isn’t the case for future Sly games.

I have always loved the Sly Cooper game’s stories, with the second being my personal favorite. Thieves in Time is no different with a solid story that sticks true to the series. What really made this game though was the dialog between characters. Top-notch writing and fantastic performances really sucks the player into the world and the character’s lives. Banter back and fourth between Sly and Bentley or Murray and everyone else is great, most moments making me laugh out loud and smile ear to ear. Also one of the series long running (unintentional) jokes is that Carmelita’s voice actor changes for each entry. Before and even during the beginning of Thieves in Time, Alesia Glidewell from Sly 2: Band of Thieves was my personal favorite. But as the fourth game went on and Carmelita took on a bigger role the newest voice, Grey DeLisle, stole my heart and is my new favorite. Now let’s hope she stays Carmelita’s voice actor for future installments.

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is, like I said before, the natural progression of this beloved series into the HD era. Sanzaru has proven themselves against the test of time as true fans of the Cooper saga and worthy to keep making the Sly games. With a lovable cast, solid gameplay, and detail rich graphics, Thieves in Time is a great game and with that $40 price tag with both editions, it’s hard to ignore the steal you’d be getting.

If you follow PlayStation, or just the gaming scene regularly then you know about Naughty Dog's latest game, The Last of Us. Set in a destroyed and over grown America one of the teams at Naughty Dog are pushing not only the PlayStation 3's limits, but the gaming industry as a whole. Boasting stunning graphics, unique gameplay, and a sure fire incredible story one of Sony's lead developers has a promising game on the horizon. With a good chunk of new content just unloaded on the gaming world this past Sunday , gamers have been breaking down footage and screen shots in great detail. One thing people can't seem to get over (in a positive way) is not graphics, controls, or some other third thing (Yes. That was a SpongeBob quote.) is the game's soundtrack. Or should I say lack of one. And that is my focus in this blog post. Now it's important to know that like most of you I have not played the demo yet. I base everything off trailers, screenshots, interviews, footage, and articles (most right here on IGN). I hope I will be able to provide a fresh outsider’s perspective (if that is even possible).

A game’s soundtrack is designed as a companion to the visuals and the plot. To raise emotions high and intense or beautiful moments. When game soundtracks are brought up today, I automatically think of the PSN exclusive from thatgamecompany, Journey.

Play this

Besides being the first video game soundtrack ever nominated for a Grammy, Austin Wintory, the composer puts music hand in hand with the games breathtaking visuals and moving story. Every time I hear a song from the game I can picture my journey in my head crystal clear. This is where Naughty Dog is changing the game. Instead of a compelling, masterful musical score to have emotions rise and fall with the gameplay, the game is eerily quiet. Which, in way, seems to pull you in more. You are aware of each and every sound. Rain falling, footsteps, breathing, and most importantly, your enemies.

There are two types of enemies in The Last of Us. There are the other humans outside of quarantine zones, and the Infected. The enemies shown in the most recent footage is the Infected. The Infected have varying types, the types Naughty Dog has revealed to us are the Runners and the Clickers. And at each of these enemies cores is sound. Runners are the earliest known stage of the infection. They still register as humans and don’t want to spread this fungal infection, but they cannot help themselves. You can see in their erratic movement their internal struggle and that strikes a note with the player (even if you just watch it like I have, it hits the right emotional strings).

The Runners

The third phase of this infection are the Clickers. The virus has taken full control. They aren’t human anymore and you can see it. The fungus has grown out of their eyes, blinding them. Due to this loss, their other senses have been heightened, the key being hearing.

The Clickers

Now instead of some sort of music cue telling the player that they are in the same room as the Infected, these creatures let you know themselves. The Runners have this moan, this gut wrenching, horrible moan. You feel the pity rising in you as you watch them stumble around trying to fight the inevitable. The Clickers, obviously, make clicking noises. These clicks bounce off their surroundings and provide them with an image, just like bats. The clicking reminds me of Ridley Scott’s Alien. It puts you on edge. Danger is lurking everywhere and you have to stay quiet and protect your group.

-Above is the latest footage of Joel against the Infected-

The Last of Us taking Naughty Dog and possibly the standard for games in a new direction. And from what I have seen and read it’s a direction I want to move in. Naughty Dog has raised the bar for themselves, now it just remains to be seen if they can meet it or go above and beyond. Now it is important to note that, again, I have not played The Last of Us yet. This is all based on what I have seen and read from various websites and articles. But it has been confirmed that with God of War: Ascension, The Last of Us demo is packed right along with it (http://go.ign.com/WQEqup) and I already have my copy preordered. After some Chaos Blade swinging and god killing, you can be sure I'll play that demo. Whether it is what people played this past week or what we saw at E3 or something entirely new, I'll play it through and write up my first hand experience and thoughts right here. What do you guys think of Naughty Dog’s new IP? Is it exciting or something you just don’t want any part with? Comment below and check back shortly after Ascension's release date to see what I think of a hands on experience with The Last of Us.

]]>Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:02:01 -0800Edithttp://www.ign.com/blogs/mudkip1430/2013/02/07/the-sound-behind-the-last-of-us#disqus_threadhttp://www.ign.com/blogs/mudkip1430/2013/01/30/sly-cooper-thieves-in-time-demo-first-impression
Update: Here is footage of the prompt menu video on the PS3. It shows of future cutscenes and maybe even shows Tennessee Kid Cooper.

First let me say this…YES! EIGHT YEARS FINALLY PAID OFF! If you wanna know my opinion, that was it. Now into the details. Obviously from that reaction I highly recommend going and downloading this demo for yourself on your PS3 or Vita. The demo shows how Sanzaru has brought one of the PlayStation 2's most beloved mascots into the HD era in full swing. The game comes to American shores in just 6 days! Also Sanzaru has said that the game has been done for quite sometime, so we know beyond any shadow of a doubt that this IS our final product. And I couldn't be any happier with it. The game boasts sharp, crisp graphics, high attention to detail, refined gameplay mechanics (along with some new ones), and that Sly charm we all know and love. Let's break it down.

Here we go!

First on the list, graphics. Wow. Very colorful and sharp. The game ran smoothly and the gang looked fantastic. Sly is being treated very well in the HD world. The demo only consists of the game's opening sequence, where Sly and the gang prepare for their first jump through time. It is set in Paris at night, not one of the brightest, most diverse color schemes you could imagine, but the team over at Sanzaru made that Paris night alley setting alive and bursting with little things that truly made the area a delight.

The setting for your first heist

Neon signs similar to the signature "Le Police" and "Le Exit" signs from Sly 1 appear giving a familiar feeling to fans. It just looked and felt like a Sly world and game. The character models look like a natural transition from Sly in the PS2 era to the PS3.

From this...

...to this

What really drew my attention was Bentley's character model and wheelchair. Bentley now is more turtle like than ever (put that on the back of the box Sony) with his face having those turtle patterned squares (I have no idea of their technical term). Again a natural transition to HD. Murray's animation and detail fit his large personality perfectly. It seems the Sanzaru team captured these characters and gave them the treatment they deserved. Now the enemies were delightful. They were small, quirky and a wide variety of attacks, which caused me to implement a tad more strategy into my Murray game than I am used to. Also one of my favorite things to do to guards in past Sly games was to plant bombs in their back pocket. It was great to see this back, but on a new level. I just loved when they realized there was a bomb in their pocket and they started frantically running around trying to stop the inevitable. It was a treat to watch and I couldn't help but smile.

The game's mechanics have definitely been improved and I'm glad to see that. One common problem in past Sly games was jumping and hitting the circle button and grabbing a rope instead of spire jumping where I wanted. I tested and jumped around in the demo to see if this problem carried over and from what I could tell that problem has been, for the most part, been eradicated. It would be much easier to test and see on a larger HUB, but we'll have to wait for the full game to see if the problem is totally gone. New attacks for Murray added some strategy for him, which I needed since the guards have upped their game too. Finally Bentley's Hacking has gotten a major remodel. For three games it was steer with left stick, shoot with right. While in this demo that is the same concept, power ups and new tanks have been added for more difficulty and, honestly, more fun. While that's all I could play in the demo two other hacking minigames have been confirmed for Thieves in Time and I am very excited to play those, giving Bentley's hacking more appeal.

THIS NEXT PORTION CONTAINS SPOILERS TO THE SLY SERIES

Now for a little bit of the game's story that I could see from playing through this demo. The big question fans have is "WHO would destroy the Cooper legacy?". While the first answer that comes to most people's minds is the infamous Clockwerk, I do not believe that is the case and here is why. First off the Clockwerk story was closed definitively at the end of Sly 2:Band of Thieves with the destruction of his body and the Hatechip. While I'm sure he'll be referred to or even make a cameo, Clockwerk is not the main villain. Also at one particular instance when Sly is slipping past a window you see the silhouette of a rat/mouse like character. This rat is talking to a pair of creatures in the shadows (screen shots below). It appears that the rat is in charge and the other two are henchmen that I’m sure we will run into throughout time. Now just WHO they are, I have no idea and we just have to play and see. Another indication that those two are the ones messing with time is during the Bentley portion of the demo. Before hacking into the computer two chalkboards, adjacent to one another depict rudimentary blueprints for, you guessed it, a time machine. This underground base is owned and guarded by those characters.

The Rat

Henchman number 1

Henchman number 2

The chalkboard

The demo was exactly what Sly fans have been asking for and more. Sanzaru went above and beyond with this game and I cannot wait to play it on the 5th. What do you guys think? Do you guys like the demo? Excited for Sly's return? Comment below and keep you eye out for some of my wiki work.

UPDATE

On my second playthrough of the demo to grab some screen shots I noticed faint writing on the lower right section of the chalk boards. The writing does refer to Clockwerk and paradoxes. It will be interesting to see how Clockwerk is involved with all this time travel.

The Clockwerk reference

]]>Wed, 30 Jan 2013 06:29:55 -0800Edithttp://www.ign.com/blogs/mudkip1430/2013/01/30/sly-cooper-thieves-in-time-demo-first-impression#disqus_threadhttp://www.ign.com/blogs/mudkip1430/2013/01/26/how-far-cry-3-pulled-me-into-first-person-shooters
My whole gaming life first person shooters have been like a distant cousin to me. At family gatherings they can be a blast and we all have a good time, but a little one-on-one time could be a little uncomfortable. That's always been my relationship with any FPS. At parties with friends I could jump into a round of Halo or Call of Duty no problem and have a decent time, although I was not good at the game at all. But if it was just me and any shooter alone, campaign or online, I would not play. They always seemed awkward to me and, like I said before, I wasn't very good at them at all. The phrase "practice makes perfect" did not apply to me at all because I simply did not want to practice. I was okay with that too. I didn't feel like I was missing out on any amazing campaign, which usually is my main reason for playing a game, and if a review or friend said otherwise I'd just play co-op with my buds and breeze through it (Halo is a perfect example). My friends would say "Max! You have to get this game! It is AMAZING!" And I would just shrug it off as another FPS that I would be mediocre at. "I'll just spend my sixty bucks on something more worth my time and money." is what I thought to myself. So how did a gamer like myself go out and buy an FPS of his own free will and end up enjoying thoroughly? It took solid reviews across the board, positive tweets from gamers I trust here at IGN, and a killer deal on Amazon.

When I told my friends I went out and bought Far Cry 3 they were a tad shocked and asked me why I would go and do that. Another typical response was "You know it's an FPS, right?". I assured them that I knew that and explained my reasoning for my out of the blue purchase. 1) The game got solid nines and YESes across the board and from the sites I trust the most (IGN and Kotaku) 2) Guys I trust here at IGN, like Colin Moriarty and Mitch Dyer, couldn't tweet anything but praise for this game (except the first person platforming, that bothered Colin) and 3) it was Amazon's deal of the day for just $35. How could I say no? I couldn't. The game arrived just two days later (with standard shipping too. Props Amazon.). I popped the disc in my PS3, installed it, and then was sucked into the madness and fell in love with it.

Before I talked about my little time with the game so far (I am only four short hours into the game's main story) I want to share a bit more about those few reviews and how they sold me in such a short time, after all I only had 24 hours to make this decision. Obviously the first thing I saw was the big number 9 and big, bold YESes, but that wasn't the selling point for me. It was what the reviews (Kirk Hamilton and Mitch Dyer respectively) said about the game. These guys described a man's adventure and decent into darkness with solid gameplay and mechanics. I'm a sucker for a good story and the description of Jason (the character you play as) going from being a terrified captive to a man who enjoys the feel of a kill just struck a note with me. "How does Jason get there? What pushes him over the edge?" Those were the questions I had and I wanted answers. Now these reviews did not praise the story as utterly fantastic, but they did say it was good. And apparently Vaas's performance steals the show (which I totally agree with). That is what pushed me over the edge to purchase this game. And the price tag of $35 helped quite a bit as well.

Now like I said before I have only about four hours clocked in on this game. In just that short time I have been pulled in hook, line, and sinker. The game quickly sets up the background for the characters with a quick montage paired with MIA's song Paper Planes. Then I woke up in a bamboo cell, hands tied, with some maniac talking to me. My brother was tied up across from me. I was sucked in. I totally forgot that I was playing a FPS and took on the full adventure side of the game. It didn't matter that I could see my arms and was subjective to only my characters point of view, I had started my adventure. I had started my decent into darkness. The game very much put me in Jason's shoes. I AM Jason. Just like he was uncomfortable wih killing, I was uncomfortable with first person gameplay. Just like Jason felt lost and had to trust his instincts, I had to play with my instincts from previous game styles (mostly stealth). I have taken on the role of Jason 100% and I like it.

First person shooters used to be a foreign territory for me, and still, in large, is foreign. But Far Cry 3 has brought me into that land and given me a pretty good idea of the potential this wide world has to over. And I am very excited to dive into it.

In 2002 the Sly Cooper franchise was born on Sony’s PlayStation 2. It gave players a new unique platformer with a lovable cast. You jumped and smashed you’re way through five HUBs as the series main character, Sly Cooper. You’re team was Sly’s lifelong pals Bentley the turtle and Murray the hippo, yet they were not playable, just support characters to provide dialog in the game. It sold well enough to win a Greatest Hits award from Sony and a sequel. With each sequel to a game new mechanics must be introduced to giver players a new-yet-familiar feeling and to add depth to the gameplay. In 2004 one way the team at Sucker Punch tackled this need for new mechanics was by making Bentley and Murray fully playable characters. And it worked wonderfully. Each character had their own missions in a more free roam HUB and those missions all played a crucial part in preparing the gang for the main heist and inevitable boss battle. In these heist you would assume the roles of all three characters, performing each step to stealing the Clockwerk part from the boss. It was a great way to add depth to the game and give the player each character’s perspective of the big heist.

The Grand Theft Auto series has always had one protagonist. Rockstar has grown and developed their main characters from the strong, silent type to a character with personality, flaws, and internal struggles like Niko in Grand Theft Auto IV. So how can Rockstar improve this model and make the next entry deeper and better? The answer Rockstar has given the world is three protagonists.With three protagonists the player now has three different points of view of the same event. And the big events in GTAV’s campaign are heists.

In Grand Theft Auto V the three main characters, Michael, Trevor, and Franklin, all work together for one purpose, money and lots of it. Missions are spread out across three different areas of the huge Los Santos. As the player switches between protagonists and those protagonists interact on different jobs, they all meet up in the end for one big job. Now that’s not one big job in the whole game, but quite a few different heists over the course of the game. Missions before the bank jobs can be thought of a prep work for that big job. This gives players a sense of accomplishment, like, “I worked up to this job and now I’m ready. Bring it.”

This is where Rockstar is taking a mechanic from the Sly Cooper franchise and make it better. In Sly 2: Band of Thieves each heist was scripted, with forced transitions and a somewhat nonlinear story telling, because flashbacks were used to switch character roles. With GTAV transitions are mostly optional, with just a few forced for story reasons. Transitions are reported to be smooth and fast, without orientation being lost. It is supposed to feel natural. This system of switching characters mid-mission gives player’s something beautiful in games; free will.

Grand Theft Auto prides itself with its open-world, sandbox gameplay. Switching roles in-game is how Rockstar brings that sandbox feel to the game’s campaign. The game’s first reported bank job, back in Game Informer Issue 236 by Matt Bertz, describes the gang breaking into the IAA (think the CIA of the GTA world) by having Michael repel down the building, Franklin sniping from an adjacent building, and Trevor flying a helicopter above. Before, if this kind of job had been done in a previous entry, the job would have been one-side from Michael’s or Franklin’s or Trevor’s point of view. In GTAV that barrier is gone. After Michael breaks into the IAA and grabs a hostage he is quickly cornered and outnumbered by IAA agents. In a single protagonist game the player, Michael, would have to wait for an AI Franklin to snipe out the hostile agents. Not in GTAV. An icon appears on screen and players can pick if they want an AI Franklin to pick off the agents or if they want to handle it themselves. Upon selecting Franklin the “player perspective switches instantaneously” and suddenly you are picking off IAA agents with a sniper (Bertz 65). This is how Rockstar puts a sandbox feel into their characters. “Do I want to snipe these guys? Or let someone else handle it?” Total free will to the player.

Gaming has come a long way since 2004 and while game mechanics, at their roots, are the same, what a company does with it and how they evolve and expand it is what pushes franchises and the industry forward. Rockstar is taking something new to themselves as a developer and giving it the signature GTA feel that millions of gamers have come to love. It’s exciting to see what they have done so far and what is to come when the game is released this spring.